Richard Ryman column: Sangria's Mexican Grill coming to Ashwaubenon

Sangria's Mexican Grill will open Feb. 17 at 940 Waube Lane, most recently home to Cheesehead's pub and grill.

The owners are Luis Vazquez and Shirley Gregory. Vazquez was born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, and the restaurant features Mexican recipes prepared by his mother.

"It's totally 100-percent authentic Mexican food," Gregory said. "We have eight different side choices. Mexicans don't eat just rice and beans. We try to do a lot of original dishes that people have not seen. We are probably the only place I know of that does a chocolate flan."

Gregory said the menu also includes many gluten-free and vegetarian choices.

"Mexican food is sometimes kind of hard on people with food allergies," Gregory said. "We specialize in that area. We have designated fryers and designated grills."

Sangria's opened in Oshkosh in 2008 and in Appleton in 2011. After the Oshkosh lease ran out, finding a new location and transferring the liquor license proved problematic, Gregory said. Greg De Cleene, who is Sangria's landlord in Appleton, offered them the Waube Lane site.

Cheesehead's closed for the simple reason that it wasn't doing enough business, said DeCleene, who owned it with Jay Gosser and Keith Destree in late 2011. Before that, it was Legends Brewhouse and Eatery with some of the same owners.

"You have to be able to fill a niche and Cheesehead's didn't do that," De Cleene said. "I think the location is excellent."

Interestingly enough, a tagline on the restaurant's website, pre-dating the decision to move to Ashwaubenon, says: "Trade Your Cheesehead for a Sombrero!"

Broadway District update

On Broadway Executive Director Christopher Naumann told the Historic Preservation Commission at its most recent meeting that Glass Nickel Pizza Co. was about 50 percent along on interior renovation of its planned full-service restaurant at 414-418 Dousman.

Work on second-floor apartments in the building is scheduled for completion in March. The restaurant will begin service in late April or early May, he said.

Naumann said the House of Homebrew facade renovation at 410 Dousman St. was nearly complete and the adjacent building to the east would get a new facade. Bill Widmer owns both buildings, as well as House of Homebrew.